Playing Catchup

Confusion and disappointment at the American media led me to sit quietly and stew in my own juices for a few days, not posting. Among the bugs up my rump:

The media's blistering treatment of Howard Dean for a post-Iowa speech that was intended to pump up the enthusiasm among very young supporters there in the audience. Dick Meyer at CBSnews.com comes closest to approaching my feelings on this matter.

The half-assed interview done by Diane Sawyer to try to prove that Howard Dean beats puppies. Judy Dean came off as incredibly likeable but Dean was forced to spend way too much time answering Diane's (she still thinks Nixon is a man who was great and noble) inane questions. Too bad ol' Diane couldn't have been as hard on GW when she interviewed him a few weeks ago.

The slathering, servile nature with still too many of the press related to Bush's SOTU address. I liked Walter Cronkite's take ("I've never seen a president come out so hard against gonorrhea") and you did see critical pieces from USA Today, the Washington Post, at least one AP reporter, and others - but too many just bask in whatever lies and stupidity this president offers up.

That no horrible, despicable action by Halliburton - who still pays Cheney - seems to merit any major attention by the press related to why so many non-bid contracts are being awarded to war profiteers.

That the media paid much more attention this week to Michael Jackson and Laci Peterson than they did the fact that David Kay, chief weapons inspector, came out the day AFTER the SOTU to admit that there really were no WMD in Iraq. Meanwhile, Bush gets off on using a phrase like "found dozens of WMD program-related activities."

Most of the media, except for Keith Olbermann on MSNBC, acted as apologists for the fact that Bush goes to a New Mexico ribs place, makes this big deal to reporters that they need to spend some money to help this poor waitress who Bush kept squeezing, and then the CiC didn't bother to leave a cent of tip. Of course he didn't. He's never worked like a waitress has. Daddy and friends hand him his money.

About one person noticed that Bush, who was pale with almost white hair the day before the SOTU, does the SOTU with a tan and newly darkened hair. Men and women are dying in Afghanistan and Iraq and this president has time for the tanning bed and a hair dye.

Argh... the list goes on too far, but includes how Americans, with so much crap occurring right now, find a show about Donald Trump more important to watch than real news. Of course, it's hard to find real news on TV but still....